FE167E finally ! work in progress...

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Hi,

I save my aim but I change the first speaker choice, so FE126-127 are missed before operating. :dead:
I turn my view on Fostex FE167E which is the speaker able to fill my list of parameters.

Because of more than 25 years in DiY, I work on a personal view of a pair of loudspeakers.

I would like some bass but not heavy or loud and overall a true and raw medium.

The enclosure will be 30 liters respecting gold number, a thin front enclosure with a quite important depth and a double laminated BR.

The cut will be done soon and I have the absorber this evening ; speakers wait for me and I will take them tomorrow.

I will give you what I succeed to get for listening during the next weeks.

;)
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
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I just plopped a set of 15 Litre FE167 BRs into the living room (Fostex recommended design but tuned a bit lower (75mm port instead of 50). They show some potential. Their purpose is to house a pair of 167s while i go to town modifying the driver -- one as a mule, the other as a reference to make sure i don't go backwards.

dave
 
I was thinking you would be doing this.
Have you got a way to get accurate measurements so you can find any resonants ala the mark mc plots of the fe126,127.

Try some JBweld on the basket legs? The duct seal works but the weld might be even better.

Careful with that scalpal.

Damar on the fringe of the whizzer?

Have your tried inkpad ink @ 1:1 ratio with puzzle coat.
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
Paid Member
doorman said:
I've been looking for an alternative to duct-seal.

I wouldn't call it an alternative, but a different kind of tool.

The idea is to put some sort of "collar" around the magnet and then fill the works with epoxy (of which, IB, JB Weld is a variant) Embedding the entire magnet and area into a block this very much solidifies the magnet to the basket. Not reversable, could be somewhat messy -- and you'll still need to ductseal.

dave
 
Ok, in the morning the MDF was cut ; this afternoon I am going to make first holes before using glue and screws...
Just after I will go to take my speakers and I think this week end I will begin to get the enclosures assembled ; during this time speakers will work on out phase to get them ready to give the true sound when fixed on the box !
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
Paid Member
Here is the FE167 mule we put together (Fostex 15 litre BR but with a bit different tuning).

dave
 

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I've always thought that the FE167E is much underrated here and at Full-rangers. When used in BR's and MLTL's, the 167E is a very good sounding driver -- lots of detail, plenty of highs and most important, a generally balanced and pleasing sound. If you don't intend to horn load your driver, give the FE167E and its big brother the FE207E a second look. You won't be disappointed.

Bob
 
I don't mean to clutter up someone elses work in progress thread, but I too have caught the fe167 fever. My first speaker project. Will be like this-

http://geocities.com/rbrines1/Pages/Proposals.html#Fostex FE164

My head was spinning trying to pick a speaker project to build, finally I just ordered a pair of fe167's from Madisound (fast service). Bought 4 2'x4' mdf panels (so could fit in my small suv), cut out all parts in a few hours. Now have to make a jig of some sorts so I can cut some holes (I have a rotozip and access to a router).

Does anyone know what a 'failed' speaker sounds like, or what 'modes' of failure are possible. I understand 'new good' speaker and 'up in smoke/no sound' speaker, but is there something in between? I hooked up the fe167's (no box) to a standard ht type amp just for kicks- but when I changed from playing video to music (all through a pc) the sound level increased to the point where the speakers were distorting badly:hot:. I quickly turned down the sound, but they were still distorting at lower volume levels. They seemed to have straightened themselves out and sound ok (I think), but not sure if I harmed them or not.
 
My project-

http://www.mtcnet.net/~henryvm/fe167e/

I'm no expert, and I don't have an audiophile adjective dictionary handy, but it sounds very good to me (detailed?clear?sweet?). I expected that the bass would be weak, but its just the opposite to my ears- I want a tweeter added to it (but where to put it?).

Need to add stuffing yet- (um, which pillow do I buy from *mart ?). I assume I stuff until I like it (trial and error?).

Need to build an amp now. (any recommendations? - doesn't seem to require much power).
 
See! I told you so. The FE167E is a very good driver.

The best place for the tweeter is to pod mount it and set it on top of the speaker. The tweeter you show in the picture has waayy too big a faceplate. Try something like the Fostex FT17H. I've used this one and it works very well. I've heard, second hand unfortunately, that the Dayton 275-030 works well, and for $5 a pop, worth a try. You will find that the tweeter will be aimed somewhere other than at the listening chair, perhaps into the corners.

Fill the back chamber and behind the driver with polyfill that has been combed out and fluffed up to almost nothing. That should smooth out the upper bass/lower midrange without taking away the bottom end.

For an amp, how about a "Just the caps" modded SI T-amp?

Bob
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
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A tweeter like that could go under the 167. It is likely not efficient enuff to keep up with the 167 (well maybe if you need to add some BSC to the 167).

A smaller one would be better thou. Tweeters like these benefit from phase plugs -- foam ear plugs actually work, but something harder will reflect HF energy instead of absorbing it giving a bit more sparkle.

dave
 
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